Touring the Tasman Peninsula

The wild cliffs, the sweeping views and the expansive farmlands of the Tasman Peninsula seem like a world apart from Tasmania, yet it takes less than an hours drive from Hobart in your campervan to reach them. So close is it that you can explore most of the Peninsula in a day trip, but the quality of the sights you see and the overall beauty of the landscapes will no doubt entice you to stay a little longer. The rocky cliff faces of the coastline here are in a constant battle with the raging waters of the ocean, and the result is some amazing geological features along the shore. So park the motorhome in a camping ground in one of the small villages here and enjoy some of the finest hiking and bushwalking the state has to offer.

Not only is it beautiful here, it is also rich in heritage and history. The village of Port Arthur adjoins an historic site of the same name, a site that was once a penal colony built by convict labour in the early days of settlement in Australia. The site has been preserved as a cultural relic- a homage to our past that in some ways we would like to forget but in more ways its important to remember. Thirty buildings and ruins of buildings sit in 40 hectares of beautiful and well maintained gardens. The penitentiary is the largest ruin, but the most chilling is the prison where convicts were punished with solitary confinement. Other relics include the hospital, dockyards, commandants residence, the church and the old asylum which contains the museum.

There are a number of tours you can take around the historic site, but the most popular ones are the 'ghost tours' that take place in the evenings. The buildings take on an eerie ominous feel in the dark, and one can almost feel the stories of treachery and despair seeping out of the darkened walls. Tours are small and popular, so book in advance if you are interested. Another popular tour is a boat cruise out to the Isle of the Dead, a small island lying just offshore where 1100 free men and convicts lie buried. Its a fascinating insight into the past to go through the graves and read the various inscriptions and imagine what life was like for these people.